Canada Threatens To Dump Boeing 'Military Equipment' Over US Anti-dumping Probe Into Bombardier

Canada has cautioned Thursday of cancelling a planned US$2 billion purchase of 18 Super Hornet fighter jets in the wake of anti-dumping investigations initiated by US Department of Commerce against Bombardier.

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland issued the threat about Boeing's complaint against Bombardier. Canada is reviewing current military procurement that relates to Boeing, she said in Global Affairs Canada Thursday.

Boeing argued at a hearing in Washington on Thursday that duties should be imposed on Bombardier's new larger CSeries passenger aircraft, insisting it receives Canadian government subsidies that give it an advantage internationally.

Boeing's petition is obviously intended at blocking Bombardier's new aircraft, the CSeries aircraft, from entering the US market, Freeland said

Canada government disagrees with the Commerce Department's decision to initiate anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, she added.

The threat follows amid increasing trade disputes between Canada and the US and on the same day the Trump administration formally told Congress that it aims to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Boeing has petitioned the US Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission to investigate subsidies of Montreal-based Bombardier's CSeries aircraft.

Bombardier has received more than US$3 billion in government subsidies so far that have allowed Bombardier to engage in "predatory pricing." The Boeing said.

Brazil has also launched a formal complaint to the World Trade Organization over Canadian subsidies to Bombardier. Sao Paolo-based Embraer is a fierce rival of Bombardier.

The Quebec government invested US$1 billion in exchange for a 49.5 percent stake in the CSeries last year.

Canada's federal government also recently provided a US$275 million loan to Bombardier, which struggled to win orders for its new medium-size plane. But Bombardier won a 75-plane order for the CSeries from U.S.-based Delta Air Lines in 2016. Bombardier said its planes never competed with Boeing in the sale to Delta.

The Canadian government said late last year it would enter into discussions with the US and Boeing on buying 18 Super Hornet jet fighters from Boeing on an interim basis and hold an open competition to buy more planes over the next five years.